Hotels are adapting to consumer demand by making vegan and vegetarian dishes more commonplace on menus. Adding 27 such items at 75 of its US full-service properties marks "a huge shift," said Bradley Moore of Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Half of women who work in science, technology, engineering and math say they have experienced discrimination, including being paid less than men and being treated as if they are inept, according to a Pew Research Center study. Women who face the most discrimination include those with postgraduate degrees and those working in male-majority settings, the study finds.

Philadelphia is among a number of places pitching diversity in a bid to bring more businesses to town, particularly ones with a focus on technology. The city is among 20 still in consideration for Amazon's second headquarters, whittled down from a pool of more than 240 cities and regions.

The need for a more welcoming climate for international travelers, the relentless demand for mobile connectivity and the growing emphasis on security were among concerns hospitality CEOs addressed in a January roundtable. Industry disrupters such as Airbnb and online travel agencies elicited little worry.